The present invention relates to a system and method for wireless remote operation of an accessory associated with a vehicle.
Motor-operated accessories and equipment associated with vehicles (for example, but not limited to, lawn and garden attachments such as broadcast spreaders, sprayers, dethatchers, aerators, carts and sweepers mounted or otherwise connected to vehicle), often include controls for performing certain functions (e.g., turning on/off a motor or pump, raising/lowering an aerator, blade, or dethatcher, changing an angle of a blade, or dumping/raising a dump cart bed) that are inconvenient to operate because the electronic controls are mounted on the accessory and remote from the vehicle operator's position, or the operating compartment of the vehicle. Thus, the vehicle operator must leave the vehicle operator's position to operate the accessory. Alternatively, the controls can be relocated to the vehicle operator's position. However, the time and effort required to relocate the controls to the vehicle operator's position is often cumbersome. Further, for accessories that are not permanently mounted to the vehicle, relocation of the controls to the vehicle operator's position is undesired because, for the time that the accessories are not mounted to the vehicle, the controls create non-functional clutter at the vehicle operator's position. Still further, wires to the controls that have been relocated to the vehicle operator's position require bundling and tying to make up for differing lengths and varying configurations of vehicles, which is difficult and undesirable from the perspective of both the manufacturer and the installer.
Additionally, motorized or electrically powered accessories (e.g., spreaders, sprayers, electrically angled blades, electrically heated seat covers, etc.) that are directly connected to a vehicle power supply may inadvertently remain energized even when the vehicle is not running, as the power supply likely contains a battery that continues to supply power. This is undesirable for many reasons, but especially due to issues of power drain.